Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-21
, all taxes then due from him to the state.

uCers DeslueS the comptroller WOulu Oe
kept informed of the revenues, and it
would not lie in the power Of that officer,
even If so disposed, to embarrsss the OPP
erations of the treasury and to withhold
from it its just receipts without the pub
lie at least being informed of the true
! situation and its cause. In many of the
most populous counties literal compli-
ance with the existing law. which requires
collector to pay into the treasury at
once all sums of money when collections
amount to $500 or more, is impossible.
] His collections have to be divided be-
tween the various interests involved, and
it not unfrequently occurs that taX-pay-
ers crowd his Office in making their pay
ment, and his collections after banking
hours amount to $1,000 or more. The
obvious duty TO be met is to provide such
facilities and safeguards as will secure
close remittances and prompt deposits in
the treasury to save the government from
temporary embarrassment.
! The report of the Hon. w. j. Swain,
comptroller of public accounts. is re-
specially called to your attention, fur
nishipg as it does valuable information
J and suggestions as to the financial condi-
ton of the state, and the propriety of
making certain changes in the laws
regulating our financial management.
From this report it appears that
for the year ending August 81, 1885, the
receipts of public money from the usual
and ordinary sources of revenue were
81 ,673, 1888 %, while the expenditures for
the same period were Sl,979, 3Sl %,
showing deficit for that year of $780,
1893 %. This deficit was fully covered,
as is shown by said report, byth balance
on hand ct the beginning of said year,
which amounted to Sl45, 29S &c, and by
the sale of bonds and loans to the state
of special funds in the treasury, aggre-
eating the further sum of S245, 1886 Al,
for the year ending August 81, 1856. The
total receipts from ordinary sources OF
revenue amounted to the sum OF
81, ia, 031 40, while the expendi-
lures amounted to the sum OF
81, 635, 41O.14, and the cash balance re-
naming on hand in the treasury at the
commencement of the present fiscal year,
September /, 1886, was 1868, 1920. In
this connection your attention is called
to the amount of deficiencies for which
appropriations are necessary.
The late comptroller is of the opinion
that the present rate of taxation will
not only be sufficient to defrey the
current expenses of the government
economically administered, but provide
, moderate surplus for any reasonable
/ emergency. And in this opinion l con
, cur. Ehere are certain extraordinary eS
penditures hereinafter referred 10 anC
discussed, which in my judgment have
become essential, and the limited surplu:
of revenue indicated by these figures
| should admonish US to prudent hus
, bandry of our resources, if we would
escape future financial embarrassment.
PENITENTIARIEs.
The proper disposition of the convict!
5 in our state is justly regarded question
/ of paramount Importance to the genera
welfare. Sending petty thieves to thu
7 penltenuaries has overcrowded these in
t situations without apparently lessening TIT
= frequency of crime, and sending them t
r the county jails only encourages them il
2 idlenes- and imposes the costs OF thei
maintenance on the puoiic without tn
q possibility of improving their morals o
+ working their reformation. Under exist
: ing laws Jail expenses are bankruptinE
0 some of the counties of the state.
: In dealing with this question, it will b.
e observed by reference to the report 0
s the superintendent, that there are now CT
4 hand 5000 convicts, and the number is be
ing augmented at rapid ratio. Our pres
: ent cell accommodations will not proyid
t for more than 1900, and this number, it i
y alleged, cannot find employment in tn
e walls so as to render them self-support
l. ing.
It 1t is suggested by the financial agen
= that an appropriation of 800, 900, in ad
y dition to the appropriation already made
II is necessary to provide suitable material
: machinery, ETC., for the more successful
t development of our prison industries a
j. Huntsville. While it is further show
that the iron industries at Rusk, upo
= which the labor utilized there is entirel
n dependent, will require an additional az
{ preparation. The output of the furnsc
l. is from twenty-five to thirty tons of pi:
e iron per day, but, owing to the eXistin
d freight rates, this product cannot reac
d i market beyond the limits of the state
o 1t is probable that the products of tn
it furnace for one month would be adequat
II to supply the demand of Texas market
e with pig iron for one year.
The contract for supplying the iron Wor
e for our new capitol has created g tempors
= ry demand, which will soon be at an END
1t and after the WORK is completed, probabl
n one-half # the capacity of the furnace ca
e be utilized in the manufacture of waite
e and gas pipe, sale of which, ct remuners
7. tive prices, may be made.
: To keep this iron furnace in Constan
e operation for ten months in the year, Wi
Y require the Inauguration of some new er
: terprises demanding additional appropri
: ations. To supply the necessary coal ha
Il already consumed the timber of ITO
= acres of land in one year. and the timbe
j. supply owned by the state for this pul
S pose will be exhausted in another twelv
n months or less time. The coal is nol
C transported distance of fourteen miles
II and the timber land accessible at tina
IS distance is approaching in value. A pru
d dent business foresight would therefor
:, seem to dictate the immediate purchas
is of timber land sufficient to supply the de
d mand for at least four or five years.
d The reports above referred to turtle
t., state that lS47 convicts are engaged i
It various employments outside of tn
If walls, under contracts soon to expire
|. This additional force will then be throw
i upon the stste without the prospec
e of remunerative employment at il
If door work. From the exhibit c
n the financial agent, we find that the aver
e age cost per capita for the maintenance {
It convicts is $1,000 per month. To zee
J. these lS47 convicts in the walls, as W